Multiple stereotype plate casting and finishing machine



Aug. 4, 1931. H. A. w. wboD 1,816,944

MULTIPLE STEREOTYPE PLATE CASTING AND FINISHING momma Filed'tsept- 10, 1926 2 Sheets-Shee l A. w. WOOD MULTIPLE STEREOTYPE PLATE CASTING AND FINISHING MACHINE Filed Sept. 10, 1926 2 Sheets-Shee 2 Patented Aug. 4, 1931 HENRY A. wrsE wooi); or se YonK,

PATENT OFFICE n, Y., .essrenon TO woon NEWSPAPER MACHINERY CORPORATION; OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF VIRGINIA.

I MULTIPLE ,STEREOTYPE PLATE CASTING AND FJ INI ISHING MACHINE Application filed September 10, 1926. Serial No. 134,696.

"5 are used with'a single. finishing machine and relative movement is obtained to provide for delivering first from one casting box and then another to'the finishing machine. This invention involves the carrying out of that 10 ideain other forms and particularly 'toprovid'e' constructions taking up comparatively littlejroom thus fitting t'hemfor particular] 'placeslin'which they are'tobe installed. I" have shown several forms of the invention 15 for these, purposes. I 1

Otherobjects and. advantages ofthe 1nvention'will'appear hereinafter. v v

Reference istobehad to the accompanying drawings in which, I I .7 p p I Fig; 1 is a'plan of a preferred embodiment of'thi's invention 'in' which the motion is all.

rectilinear and the'casting machines are located with theirlaxes parallel'to'each other;

boxes. are swung about .the melting pot as a center; and

Fig, 5 is a plan ofa construction in which the finishing machine is swung/about the melting'pot asal center.

In allthese devices there is a relative move ment betweenthe casting and finishing mas chines for theipurpose of getting them into registration. at the time of delivery I and :pr-

mitti'ng; of the pumping of metalintoone of the casting boxes at the proper time to allow finishing. machine also moves as itfinishes the'casting preferably. I

R ferrin'gtoFig. 1 I have shown'two'casting"boxes- 1O,,;although, any number can be us'edQarranged with their axesfparallel. They are connected with the melting pot 11 which ig. 4. is a .pl 11, Or modification of the 1 form shown in Fig. 3 in which'the casting the casting to cool before the delivery. The:

hasa number of pumps 12 corresponding with the number of casting boxes. v Thus they can deliver metal to the casting boxes at any desired time. Adjacent to the delivery ends of the casting machines and arranged transverselyacross are a pair of rails 13 having racks 14' along them. They are shown in this instance as having racks on their outer edges. A single finishing machine 15 is provided with rolls so that it can be supported by and run along'this track from one casting box.

to the other and will come into line with them alternately. F or operating them, a motor (not shown) is provided on the finishing machine movable with it and operating-a vertical shaft 16. The shaft is provided with a sprocket wheel and connected by a chain .17 with another sprocket wheel 18 at the other side. These sprocket wheels, or the shafts on which they are'mounted, are provided with plnlons 19 meshing with the two racks 14'. Consequently when the shaft 16 is turned thewhole finishing machine will be translated along the tracks 13 from one caste ing box to the other. A I have not shown herein any automatic'or other means for control.-

ling the operation, as devices can be used s milarto those shown in my prior applicar tlons for that purpose.v It will be seen that the finishing machine can be moved into, registratlon with each. of the 'casting"boxes to receive a plate therefrom'andthen it can.

be moved over to the other. The finishing operation is performed or partly performed during that motion. The casting'isthen delivered from the finishing machine and a new casting introduced into it from the other casting machine. I

In the form shown in Fig. 2, practically the same conditions exist.v The samepump 12, casting box 10 and finishingmachine 15 are shown, but here the two castingboxes; are mounted to roll. on two transverse rails 23. In this case the two casting boxes are connected together by a frame so thatthey will move along the tracks and between the pump and the finishing machine: Onthe frame are two racks 24:- In this case. only one. operating means is required. This comprises the stationary vertical shaft 16 oper- Rated by the finishing machine. This shaft through bevel gears 27 drives a shaft 28.

g This shaft is provided with two pinions 29 engaging the racks and is held in stationary bearings.

The rotation of this shaft in either direction from the shaft-16 will move the racks back and forth and therefore movethe two casting boxes laterally on the tracks from one position to the other. They are shown in a position in which one casting box is in position to receive molten metal and deliver its plate to the finishing machine. When that is done,the two boxes will be moved over to the dotted line positionand the other box will be ready to receive a charge of metal from the pump, cool it, and deliver it to the finishing machineg In the form illustrated in Fig. 3 also a stationary finishing machine is shown and a stationary'pump 12 with casting boxes 10 movable between the two.

. the same mechanism is employed except that the track 33 and the movable rack 34; are curved so that the boxes are moved about a center which in this case is located at the other end of the finishing machine. The is actually the same as operation otherwise in Flg. 2.

In Fig. 4 the same casting boxes 10, pump 12 and finishing machine 15 are shown, but in this case three casting boxes are'shown instead of two. Furthermore, the track 43 and the 'rackAt curve about the center of the melting pot; The operation can be an inter mittent one about the entire circle if desired, or an oscillating; motion about the center.

The parts are operated by the shaft 16 but the connections shown in the other figures are not illustrated in detail in this figure. V "In the form shown in Fig. 5, a single melting pot 21 is shown having three pumps. 12 delivering to three casting boxes 10 fixed in radial position around the furnace or melt- 3 ing pot. Around the ends of the casting boxes are two tracks 53 and racks 63 centered about themelting pot and on these tracks is mounted the'finishing machine 15 which is provided with an operating mechanism similar to that'shown in the other figures. They are operated in this case by. the shaft '16 which by bevel gears 57 operates a cross shaft 58 and pinions 59 meshing with the two racks.

These pinions are of slightly different diameteron account of the different length of travel of the racks. In all these cases the general principle'is the same. A single finishing machine has delivered to it the plates fromaplurality of casting boxes. TheJfin-. ishing machine and casting boxes are intermitt ently' brought into alignment forthe delivery of" the plate from one to the other. The finishing machine is always adapted to start up immediately and finish the plate whilethe traverse, or part of'it, is being ac- In this case Therefore I do not wish to be limited to'all the details of construction herein shown and described, but what I do claim is 1. In a plant for making-stereotype printing plates, the combination of a pair of castingboxes and afinishing machine, of a pair of racks, a pair of pinions meshing with said racks, 'means. for rotating said pinions to secure a-relative side-ways translating movement between the pinions and racks, the

racks being connected with the plate making apparatus to transfer apart of it with them.

2. In a stereotype plate making apparatus,

the'combination withtwo stationary casting machines arranged with their axes parallel,

a pairjof transverse tracks, and'a finishing machine movable along'said tracks from a position in alignment with onecasting machine to a position in alignment with the other. .7 i

3. In astereotype plate making apparatus, the combination with two stationary casting machines arranged with their axes'parallel,

a pair of transverse tracks having racks thereon, a finishlng machine movable along said tracks from a position in alignment with one casting machine to a position in alignment with the other, a shaft connected with thefinishing machine and adaptedito'be rota-ted when the finishingapparatus is in operation, and pinions meshing-with the two racks and operated by said shaft for movingthe finishing machine alongthe tracks. e

4:. In a stereotype plate making plant, the

combinationof a melting'furnace, a plurality of'pumps therein, a series of casting boxes radially arranged with respect to the melting furnace, and spaced'therearound in stationary position, two curved tracks concentric with the melting furnace and located beyond the ends of the casting boxes, and a finishing machine mounted to roll in the arc of a circle around said tracks, from radial alignment with one casting box to a'lignmentwith another. i

5'. In a stereotype plate making plant, the:

combination of a melting furnace, a plurality of pumps therein, a series'of'casting boxes radially arranged with respect to the melting furnace and spaced therearoundin stationary position, two curved tracks concentric with the melting furnace andilocated beyond the ends of the casting boxes, a finishing machine mounted to roll in the arc of a circle around said tracks, and having a shaft provided with two pinions, the tracks being provided with racks in which the pinions engage to roll therealong and translate the finishing machine therewith, and means on the finishing machine for rotating the shaft when the finishing machine is operating, whereby the finishing machine will move from radial alignment with one casting box to alignment with another.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

HENRY A. WISE WOOD. 

